In addition to snow-swept vistas and holiday lights, winter brings the specter of long travel delays. Flights can be canceled or pushed back for hours, buses can become bogged down as snow forces people to drive slower, and even trains can be affected if the storms get bad enough. If you plan on taking a trip this winter, it’s in your best interests to have a few creative ideas to stay entertained and productive during a delay. If you find yourself slowed down by winter weather, try the following:
– Start a conversation. You probably won’t be the only traveler stuck wherever you are, so if you find yourself delayed in an airport or bus terminal, introduce yourself to someone nearby who looks interesting. Your wait may fly by if you hit it off, and at the very least you’ll have some company.
– Tackle some tasks you have put off. Maybe you’ve been meaning to catch up with friends or relatives that you won’t be seeing over the holidays. Maybe you have some last-minute shopping to do, or an e-mail to respond to that got pushed back because you had a plane to catch. You can often make good use of a delay of a few hours by catching up on tasks.
– Brainstorm for a project. If you’ve been waiting for some down time to put together ideas for a project at work, a travel delay just might provide it. Carry something that you can use to jot down your thoughts, like a notebook or a smartphone, and then find a quiet place where you can start throwing concepts around.
– Catch up on some reading or listening. If you’re in a productive mood, you might want to track down a blog post to read or a podcast to listen to while you wait. In addition, many online services offer free book downloads.